Nishikant Dubey, a Member of Parliament from India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has stated that not only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, but Bangladesh’s Noakhali, Sylhet, and the port of Chattogram should also be “reclaimed.” He claimed that these regions fell into Pakistan’s hands during Partition due to the policies of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Lok Sabha member representing Jharkhand’s Godda constituency made these controversial remarks during an interview with the Indian news agency ANI on Friday (November 6).
In the interview, Nishikant Dubey claimed that Noakhali, Sylhet, and Chattogram Port were once part of the kingdom of Tripura. He asserted that Nehru made decisions regarding these territories during Partition despite objections from the then-ruler, Maharaja Bir Bikram Singh.
According to Nishikant, the King of Tripura had questioned Nehru on what authority he was deciding the fate of his state’s territory. The King maintained that whether to accede to India, join Pakistan, or remain independent was a decision for him alone to make.
The BJP leader said, “Noakhali, Sylhet, and Chattogram Port were all part of the Tripura princely state. The King asked Nehru how he could cede Noakhali to Pakistan or conduct a referendum in Sylhet and Chattogram. He stated, ‘This is my state. I will decide whether to stay with India, go to Pakistan, or remain independent.'”
He further claimed that Tripura formally acceded to India in October 1948 after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel dispatched troops. He noted that Maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi signed the Instrument of Accession at the time.
Referencing the 1946 communal riots in Noakhali, Nishikant Dubey alleged that Nehru prioritized bringing the Muslim League into the government over addressing the situation in Noakhali. He claimed that 10,000 Hindus were killed in a single day on October 15 in Noakhali, yet Nehru did not visit the area despite being Prime Minister.
Nishikant also blamed the lack of control over Chattogram Port for lagging development in Northeast India. In his view, had the port remained under Indian control, it would have facilitated the utilization of the region’s mineral and gas reserves and improved transport links.
On this issue, he stated, “If the Northeast remains underdeveloped today, if its mineral resources and natural gas reserves cannot be properly utilized, and if a sense of alienation still persists in that region, the sole reason is not having control over Chattogram Port. Therefore, the time has come to reclaim Noakhali, Sylhet, and Chattogram.”
The BJP MP also leveled allegations against Baharul Islam, who oversaw the Sylhet referendum. He claimed that Baharul Islam was a member of the Muslim League’s Red Army and was involved in the Noakhali violence. He further alleged that the Congress Party later patronized him, appointing him as a member of the Rajya Sabha and subsequently as a judge in both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, a scion of the Tripura royal family and founder of the Tipra Motha party, endorsed Nishikant Dubey’s statement. In a post on the social media platform X, he claimed that during Partition, a large portion of Tripura was given to Pakistan while keeping his grandmother in the dark, calling it a historic blunder.
Pradyot added that if Chattogram Port had been under Indian control, India would not have to worry as much about the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck.”
Notably, Nishikant Dubey has previously stirred controversy with various statements. Recently, he sparked debate by demanding the creation of a separate Union Territory comprising West Bengal’s Malda and Murshidabad districts alongside Bihar’s Katihar and Kishanganj districts. Additionally, his name surfaced as the complainant in the cash-for-query allegations against former Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.
